


have yourself a merry little christmas

by kaatiekinss



Category: Riverdale (TV 2017)
Genre: F/M, Fluff and Smut, Friends to Lovers, Idiots in Love, Sharing Body Heat, Sharing a Bed, Sharing a Room, Varchie!Centric, and there was only one bed
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-19
Updated: 2020-07-19
Packaged: 2021-03-05 01:42:10
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,532
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25386256
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kaatiekinss/pseuds/kaatiekinss
Summary: A snowstorm two days before Christmas traps Archie and Veronica in Greendale while they're on their way home from university for Christmas break. And although it doesn't seem it at the time, it's the greatest thing that could have ever happened to them.
Relationships: Archie Andrews/Veronica Lodge
Comments: 4
Kudos: 17





	have yourself a merry little christmas

**Author's Note:**

  * For [monicaposh](https://archiveofourown.org/users/monicaposh/gifts), [Tuesdayschildd](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Tuesdayschildd/gifts), [theeternalblue](https://archiveofourown.org/users/theeternalblue/gifts), [andsmile](https://archiveofourown.org/users/andsmile/gifts).



> It's your classic Christmastime, friends-to-lovers, there was only one bed, cuddling for warmth, fluffy, smut fest. This is a present for The Golden Girls, and four of my dear friends and fellow varchie authors, Emily, A.K., Fran, and Vik. I love and appreciate you all, and I'm honored to be counted amongst your ranks as a writer for this ship <3 Merry Christmas and Happy New Year, ladies!

“Archie, I think we may have to pull over.” 

Veronica glances over at the red-headed boy next to her in apprehension. The snow hadn’t been this bad when they left Manhattan, but the closer they get to Riverdale, the worse it seems to become.

Archie nods, and gestures towards the next exit, “This’ll take us right into Greendale. We can wait out the storm there.”

She and Archie have been carpooling back to Riverdale for the holidays since their freshman year. With her at Columbia and he at NYU, it just made sense that they save time and money by going home together. Usually, Veronica enjoys their road trips. Archie’s a good guy and she’s always liked him, probably a little more than she would ever care to admit.

Despite their close friendship over the years, nothing ever transpired between them beyond some harmless flirting and the occasional longing gaze or lingering touch. And despite Betty’s insistence that he’s just as interested in her as she is in him, his friendship means the world to Veronica and she can’t risk losing what has become one of her most prized possessions; even if he is an All-American dreamboat.

The roads of Greendale are terrible, and several times the truck nearly slides off the road. Things are finally looking up a bit when the roar of the heater suddenly stops.

“Um, Archie,” Veronica fiddles with the dial, “I think the heater just stopped working.”

Archie looks at her and then at the dashboard. He hits it a couple of times with his fist, like assaulting the aged Chevy will magically make the heater come back to life, but to no avail.

“Well shit.”

Because of the road conditions, they’re barely moving and it’s so cold outside that Veronica is already starting to get goosebumps; it won’t be long until she starts to shiver and her teeth start to chatter.

She had laughed at Archie when they left this morning because of his layers, but right about now, she’s wishing she had worn more than a camisole and a sweater with a vest.

Stylish? Yes. Warm? Not so much.

Veronica rubs her hands together, trying desperately to stimulate some warmth as they putter down Greendale’s long, winding roads towards the center of town, the world outside looking every part a snow globe.

“You okay?” He asks her, looking at her fondly out of the corner of his eye.

“I’m f-f-fine, Archie,” she insists, although the chatter of her teeth belies how cold she is, “but we are almost there, right?”

He frowns. They would be if the roads were clear and the wind wasn’t whipping, but the weather is slowing down their travel time, even if the relentless snowfall has ebbed a bit.

“Technically we’re only about ten minutes away from Main Street but if we factor in the road conditions and the wind gusts…” he trails off and Veronica groans, the knowledge that she’ll be in this truck for at least another half hour without any heat making her feel colder.

“Here,” Archie says, shrugging out of his coat, “take my coat.”

He wiggles out of the dark green Carhartt coat and hands it to Veronica, who instantly feels guilty about taking it.

“Archie, I can’t take your coat,” She says, “you’ll freeze,” but even as she protests, she’s sliding her arms through the too-big sleeves and zipping it up.

She probably looks ridiculous but Veronica can’t really bring herself to care because she’s finally starting to warm up. The coat is still warm from his body and she buries her nose in the collar and breathes in. The fact that it smells like Archie is just an added bonus.

“Don’t worry about it, Ronnie. I run hotter than normal.”

_Oh, believe me,_ She thinks, _I know._

Finally, they come to North Main Street and Archie pulls over and asks one of the shop owners where they can stay for the night.

“Well, the only place is the B&B over on Crest Street,” he starts pointing and giving Archie directions, and then, blessedly, they’re off again, still without a heater, but knowing in a few short minutes she’ll be in a building with heat and a shower and a bed is enough to warm Veronica a little bit.

The bed and breakfast is a quaint little place, looking like the cover of Better Homes and Gardens winter issue. They pull around to the parking lot and Archie gets out and comes around to her door, opening it up and helping her out.

“Ever the gentleman, Archiekins.”

He shoots her a boyish grin, and she can see the tops of his ears turning pink. He always blushes when she calls him that, even after all the years they’ve known each other.

They walk up the stone pathway and the steps, and Archie opens the front door for her. His chivalry always catches her off guard, even now.

The woman who’s sitting at the front desk is older, with greying hair and a sweet smile.

“Hello, dears. I’m Mrs. Beaufort, what can I do for you?” She sets aside the book she’s reading and greets them.

“We just need a place to stay for the night to wait out the storm,” Archie explains.

“Oh, well, you’re in luck. I have plenty of rooms left thanks to storm cancellations,” she opens the guest book and jots something down, “can I have a name?”

“Andrews,” Archie says before Veronica can argue. She glances at his profile, but he seems to be oblivious to how this looks.

“Very good,” she says, closing the book and giving the two of them a knowing smile, “may I ask what brings you to Greendale in this weather?”

“We were on our way home to Riverdale when the storm hit. And then the heater went in the truck,” he explains.

“Well, I’ll have my husband take a look at it tomorrow if you’d like.” She offers him a kind smile with her words.

“That would be wonderful, Ma’am, thank you.” Archie flashes her a charming smile, and Veronica can actually see the woman melt. She doesn’t blame her.

“Now, your room is up the stairs and to the left; it’s the first door, you can’t miss it.”

Archie nods and lets Veronica climb the stairs first, one hand on her lower back and the luggage balanced in the other. She opens the door and walks in and almost walks right back out.

“Oh, wonderful. Just peachy.”

The room is quaint and cozy. And by cozy, she means _real_ cozy; there’s only one twin-sized bed against the far wall.

_ One. Bed. _

“Aw, come on, Ronnie. It won’t be that bad. I’ll sleep on the floor if you want.” This was, in fact, the last thing Veronica wanted. But she smiles anyway because wasn’t it just like Archie to give her the bed while he took the floor? Again, ever the gentleman.

“Nonsense, Archiekins. We’re both adults. I’m not gonna make you sleep on the floor,” she glances down at the carpeting that looks like it came right out of 1985, “especially when it looks like that.”

Archie sets there bags down on the hope chest while Veronica explores the room a bit. The carpet belies the quality of the rest of the room. The bed and pillows are goose down with thick flannel sheets and a homemade quilt on top.

The bed frame, nightstands, dresser, and wardrobe, are all crafted from a beautiful cherry, and the hope chest and armchairs are upholstered in light blue, which compliments the delicate white lace of the curtains.

It really is charming, and Veronica supposes that if she has to be stuck with someone, she’s glad that it’s with Archie.

“You can have the bathroom, first,” she says, opening up her suitcases on the hope chest and beginning to put her things in the drawers and wardrobe. She finds her bag of toiletries and her pajamas and waits patiently for her turn in the bathroom.

Veronica is picking at her cuticle when the door opens and Archie comes out. He’s wearing a simple white t-shirt and plaid pajama pants. Suddenly, she realizes how thin her own pajamas are.

“Your turn, Ronnie.” He says, grinning at her and beginning to unpack his own suitcase.

Veronica walks into the bathroom and closes the door, leaning against it and wondering what she did in a past life to deserve such exquisite torture.

Going through the steps of her nightly routine does help her relax and Veronica takes comfort in its familiarity. And if she takes a few extra minutes to indulge in her alone time, primping more than she usually would before going to bed, well, no one will ever be the wiser.

Veronica pulls open the door and has to scrape her jaw off the floor.

The quilt and sheets have been turned down, and Archie is standing by the nightstand, peeling his t-shirt off and climbing into the tiny bed, dwarfing it with his size and making it seem smaller than it already is.

Although she only gets a brief glimpse of him, it’s enough for every ridge and dip of his arms and chest to burn into her memory. Veronica turns away, crosses herself, and turns off the bathroom light.

She pads over to her side of the bed and slips under the covers, tucking them in around her hips and thighs and laying her hands in her lap. Archie must notice her discomfort (he’s always been so good at reading her body language) because he bumps her shoulder with his own.

“I won’t bite, I promise.” His grin is boyish and she’s unsurprised to notice that it still does funny things to her insides.

Archie slides down under the covers and waits for her to do the same. Once she’s burrowed like him, blankets coming up to her nose, Archie wiggles his eyebrows at her and Veronica laughs and switches off the bedside lamp.

“Goodnight, Ronnie.”

“Goodnight, Archiekins.”

\---

Archie lays there in the darkness next to Veronica, the girl of his dreams, being very mindful of the invisible wall down the middle of the bed.

She’s everything he’s ever wanted and then some. Intelligent, clever, beautiful, mysterious. He’ll never forget the day she walked into Pop’s for the very first time. He’d made a complete fool of himself, laughing way too hard at her joke and gawking at her the whole time.

It wasn’t his fault; he was awestruck.

But for a million and one reasons, he’s never allowed himself to go there with her. Archie values their friendship above anything else in the world, and as incredible as she is, he won’t risk losing her. Having her as a friend is better than not having her at all.

He’s just about asleep when there’s a loud electrical sound and the night light in the bathroom goes dark. He feels around for the lamp and when he turns it on and nothing happens, he knows what’s going on: the power’s out.

“The power just went out, didn’t it?” Veronica’s voice comes from the other side of the bed and Archie doesn’t need to see her face to know the look on it.

“Yup. The storm must have knocked out the power lines.” She groans and Archie feels her turn towards him and scoot closer.

“As if it wasn’t already cold enough in here.” Archie smiles. Veronica has this thing about the cold. She doesn’t like it but yet she always seems to be freezing. Like earlier today when he gave her his coat to keep her warm.

As the minutes pass and the room gets gradually colder, Veronica’s teeth begin to chatter. Archie, who runs hotter than normal anyway, says, “Come here,” and pulls her closer to him. He tucks her into his side, letting her lay her head on his shoulder and burrow into the warmth of his body.

Veronica stiffens and he thinks she might pull away, but then she realizes how warm he is and stays put.

“How are you always so hot, Archiekins?” He smirks.

“It’s a gift, I guess.” He can feel her smile against his chest.

“Well, thank you for sharing.” She tells him, and he can already feel her drifting; her breathing slows down and evens out and she goes still. Archie shifts carefully (he doesn’t want to wake her) and once he finds a nice spot, he drifts off, too.

Archie’s dreams are consumed by a mysterious girl with raven-colored hair and dark eyes. Red lips and soft skin. She smells like roses and when she smiles at him, it lights him up inside.

When he wakes up sometime in the night, the power’s come back on. He knows this because the dim glow of the night light is illuminating Veronica’s face.

He doesn’t think he’s ever seen her so beautiful; her face relaxed and unguarded, the tips of her eyelashes resting against the tops of her cheeks, the steady rise and fall of her chest as she breathes.

He’s as awestruck now as he was the first time he saw her.

And then she opens her eyes.

\---

Veronica notices two things when her eyes open. The first is that the power’s come back on. Which is great. The second is that Archie is also awake. And staring at her. Which is...intense.

The angle at which she’s laying means she has an excellent view of where the covers have ridden down and exposed his torso and arms. His gaze is bouncing back and forth between her eyes and her lips and he’s just staring at her. 

Archie licks his lips and that’s it for her. She surges up and kisses him, cupping his face with one hand and threading the fingers of her other hand into the hair at the back of his neck. Her thumb comes under his chin to caress the soft skin there and it’s everything she’s ever imagined kissing Archie Andrews would be like.

She pulls him down on top of her and opens her legs so he can settle between them. This is so good, Archie is so good, she doesn’t want to be parted from him for another minute. She kisses him like she needs him. Like she needs air. Like she can steal away some of his goodness and keep it for herself. And he kisses her back with the same intensity, the same ferocity.

“Ronnie…” Archie mumbles this into her lips and pulls away so he can look at her. Veronica opens her eyes.

“Are we really doing this?” Archie’s searching her face for any sign of hesitation or regret. This endears him to her more than anything else. Veronica smiles and uses surprising strength to roll him over so she’s on top. Archie looks up at her in awe and lets his hands settle on her waist.

“I think we are, Archiekins.”

Veronica kisses his lips again before moving down his chest; placing one over his heart and then down his sternum and abs, following the faint trail of fine hair that disappears into the waist of his pajama pants.

But Archie has other ideas. Ideas he’s been contemplating since high school. Ideas that involve laying her out and making her squirm and her toes curl with just his mouth.

He takes her hands and draws her back up his body and then flips them over so that Veronica is below him once again.

“I want to taste you,” He says, and Veronica actually blushes. No one has ever been so forward when it comes to going down on her. But she supposes she shouldn’t really be surprised. Archie has always been eager to please and devoted; putting everyone else before himself. Why should he be any different in bed?

He doesn’t waste any time. His fingers undo the buttons down the front of her pajama top and then push the silky fabric apart before helping her out of it. He throws it somewhere and for once in her life, Veronica doesn’t care what the hell happens to her clothes.

Her pajama pants are next and Archie has them down and off of her body in an instant. And then he just admires her. He runs his hands up her legs, beginning at her ankles and sliding up, up, up. Over her knees and up her inner thigh.

“Archie,” she says, voice light and breathy, only for his ears.

His fingers find the edge of her panties, indexes sliding under and curling, hooking around them so he can pull them off.

Archie meets her eyes as he lowers down and slides her bare legs over his shoulders. Veronica is torn between wanting to watch him and being so overwhelmed she wants to close her eyes.

Her heart feels like it might fly out of her chest as she waits, as Archie builds anticipation by barely brushing his lips against the soft, sensitive skin where thigh meets hip.

And then he puts his mouth directly on her clit and sucks. Veronica keens and throws a pillow over her mouth to stifle the sounds she’s making. Archie’s hands are gripping her thighs to hold them open and she’s sure she’ll have finger-shaped bruises in the morning.

Her hand slides into his hair and pulls, just a little, and Archie groans, sending delicious vibrations through her whole body. She feels two of his fingers teasing around her entrance, just below where his tongue is caressing her bundle of nerves. He eases them inside of her and curls them forward, pressing against that spot inside of her.

“Archie…”

He doesn’t think he’ll ever get sick of hearing his name leave her lips like that. He’s no virgin, hasn’t been for a long time, and Archie knows what he’s doing. He’s always gotten off on going down on girls, has always been good with his hands and fingers, even when he wasn’t very good at anything else.

And this is Veronica. The girl he wanted the most but who had always seemed so unattainable. Now he’s got his mouth on her and his fingers inside her and she’s crying his name and he’s so turned on, he can’t fucking stand it.

“I’m gonna come,” Veronica’s legs start to shake and her breathing gets heavier. And he can feel her clenching around his fingers as she finally let’s go, her back arching off the bed, “Archie…”

Everything goes a bit hazy around the edges as she comes down from her high. Archie’s kissing his way up her body, all the way to her mouth. When he kisses her, she can taste herself on his lips, on his tongue.

“That was even better than I imagined,” he says.

“So, you’ve imagined this?” Her voice is teasing, breathless. “Yes. Imagined what you’d feel like,” he kisses one nipple, “what you’d sound like,” he moves his mouth to the other nipple, “what you’d _taste_ like.”

Feeling mischievous and a little power-hungry, Veronica slides her hand down his chest, over his abs, and under the waistband of his pajama pants to wrap around the length of him.

She’s imagined this particular part of him many a lonely night, usually with her hand between her legs and his name on her lips. Part of her felt ashamed getting off imagining her best friend, but the other part was always curious to know what he’d really be like if the mere thought of him could make her come so hard.

“Wanna know a secret, Archiekins?”

He doesn’t answer, just struggles to hold himself above her while she twists her hand around him and rubs her thumb across the head of his cock.

“I’ve thought about this, too.” Archie groans and she loves that she made him do that. She leans up and licks up his neck, pumping her hand and twisting when she reaches the tip.

“Fuck, Veronica, you’re gonna make me come.”

It’s a frantic tangle of hands and lips and arms and legs to get him out of the rest of his clothes, put a condom on, and get him inside her. Archie moves forward on his knees, holding Veronica’s legs and wrapping them around his waist. One of his hands to rest beside her head, showing off his strength _just_ a little. He’s just about to guide himself inside her when she puts her hand over his.

“Wait, wait,” she says, laying the other hand on his chest, right over his heart, “slow. Go slow. I wanna feel you.”

It finally dawns on him that this is real, and not the same dream he’s had for years. It almost makes him nervous; that maybe all of his fantasies won’t live up to the real thing or that he’ll disappoint her in some way. But then he remembers who this is. Veronica has been his closest friend for years. She’s seen him at his best, and at his worst, and she stuck around for it all.

He goes slow as he pushes in, just like she asked, and the entire time he holds her gaze. Her eyes flutter closed eventually, but Archie doesn’t look away. He takes a moment to observe her and memorize every little detail of her face. Just in case, God forbid, he never gets to see this again.

Despite their earlier eagerness, they find a comfortable rhythm, a bit on the slower side, but Veronica finds she likes it. It gives her the opportunity to kiss him without the fear of breaking her nose.

Archie is a good kisser, and she’s pleased to find that some of those high school rumors _were_ true.

Archie’s getting close, he can feel it, but he wants to get Veronica there, too. So, he shifts his weight onto one of his forearms and cups her face with his free hand. His thumb traces her lips, the angle of her jaw, her nipple and the curve of her breast, before trailing down her body and finding her clit.

She clenches around him as she tenses up, and something sounding like his name falls from her lips as she comes. Archie isn’t far behind her, and he buries his face in her neck, breathing in the sweet smell of her skin as he lets go.

\---

Morning dawns bright and early the next day. Archie wakes first, just like last night, and again, takes the time to admire Veronica’s sleeping form. She’s covered by only the sheet and Archie can see the outline of her body through it. He’s now intimately acquainted with every curve, every dip, dimple, and inch of skin.

But it’s not just that. Veronica is a powerhouse in every sense of the word. From the way she carries herself to the way she interacts with the people around her. When she walks into a room, she commands its attention effortlessly. She’s sensational in mind, body, and soul.

He’s seen her dressed to the nines. He’s seen her in sweats with no makeup. And now he’s seen her in the throes of passion and all those silly, foolish fantasies and dreams he’s kept tucked away since high school come flooding back.

She has his heart, she always has, and Archie’s filled with so much joy he could burst.

He smiles and gets out of bed, picking up his pajama pants from the floor. He wanders over to the window and pulls the curtain back so he can look outside.

He’s just enjoying the view and thinking about last night when he hears Veronica shifting in the bed.

“Good morning, Archiekins.” Veronica is sitting up now, the sheet wrapped around her body and a happy smile on her face.

“Morning, Ronnie.” She makes grabby hands at him so he’ll come closer because she knows he can never deny her anything; especially after last night.

“I think we’re snowed in,” Archie tells her between kisses. This makes Veronica pull away.

“Are you serious?” She says, rolling out of bed and shuffling over to the window in her sheet. Archie laughs at her and she sends him a playful glare.

“You’re right. We probably won’t be able to get out of here until tomorrow at least.” She turns away from the window and faces him again, letting the sheet drop.

“So,” she pops her hip out and rests her hand on it, “since we have all this time,” Veronica ruffles her hair, “I think I’m gonna take a nice, long, hot bath,” the raising of one perfectly arched eyebrow, “care to join me?”

Archie’s standing and throwing her over his shoulder before she can even finish her sentence.

\---

They do eventually make it downstairs, dressed and put together, and not at all looking like they just spent the better half of the last two hours in the bathtub together until all of the bubbles went away and the water got cold. They come downstairs for breakfast, pinkies intertwined as they descend the stairs, smiles lighting up both their faces. They separate when they enter the dining room, but the smiles don’t leave and don’t go unnoticed by Mrs. Beaufort.

“Good morning, you two,” she sets two plates in front of them and begins to fill them with all sorts of delicious breakfast food, “I hope you found a way to _stay warm_ last night during the power outage.”

Archie chokes on his orange juice and Veronica nearly drops the teapot. A man who can only be Mr. Beaufort chuckles behind his newspaper. 

“Oh, we did,” Archie says, shoving a bite of waffle in his mouth. Veronica elbows his side, a blush rising across her skin. Mrs. Beaufort sits down at the head of the table, opposite Mr. Beaufort, and everyone digs into breakfast. She’s popping a berry into her mouth when she feels Archie’s hand settle on her knee, just below the hem of her skirt. She hadn’t put on pantyhose this morning, so the heat of his hand directly on her skin reminds her of last night and his hands all over other parts of her body.

She clears her throat and wraps her fingers around his, partly to stop his hands from wandering any higher and partly because she wants to be touching him. This is all so new; _they're_ so new, but Veronica finds that being around him after last night is not nearly as awkward as she expected it to be. It is Archie, after all. They’ve known each other for years. And clearly, there were more feelings there than either of them wanted to admit to. They continue to hold hands underneath the table all the way through the meal, and if anyone notices, no one says anything. Archie keeps running his thumb along her knuckles, the touch almost hypnotic.

When breakfast is over, Veronica decides to help Mrs. Beaufort with the dishes while Archie goes outside with Mr. Beaufort to work on the truck.

“How long you been with your girl?” He says, popping the hood and looking around.

“Veronica and I aren’t—”

“Son, I’ve been around a long time. I may be old, but I’m not stupid,” he pushes up his hat about so he can look at Archie, “you don’t look at a girl that way if you aren’t a little bit in love with her.”

Archie flushes, and rubs the back of his neck nervously, “We’ve known each other since high school. And I guess I always had those feelings but, we were kids, and I didn’t think I was good enough for her; I didn’t think she felt the same way.”

Mr. Beaufort hums as he tinkers under the hood with a wrench, “Well, did you ever ask her?”

Archie pauses, “No, and last night, uh, we really didn’t do a whole lot of talking.”

The older man laughs a hearty, full-bodied sound.

“Showing her is one thing, but telling her is another. Use your words, be free with them. Tell her how you feel, Son.”

Archie nods and continues to hand Mr. Beaufort tools as he mulls over his advice in his head.

\---

“Oh, don’t worry about those dishes, Dear, I’ll take care of them.” Mrs. Beaufort starts to load the dishwasher up, glancing at Veronica every few seconds as she sips the tea from her mug, leaning against the kitchen counter and gazing out the kitchen window into the backyard where the men are working on the truck.

“The two of you make a very lovely couple,” she says, and Veronica sets her cup down, a blush tinging her cheeks.

“We’re not, I mean, we are, but--”

“It’s still new?” Mrs. Beaufort says kindly.

“I’ve loved Archie since…forever. Before I even knew what love was. But I didn’t want to admit it to myself. I couldn’t risk losing him as a friend, so I just buried the way I felt.”

“Did you tell him that last night?”

Veronica stutters, but Mrs. Beaufort pats her hand.

“I could tell by the way you two looked at each other,” Mrs. Beaufort says, “seems he’s quite smitten with you, I’d say almost as much as you are with him.” Veronica picks up her tea again, eager for some advice from the older woman.

“How long have you and Mr. Beaufort been married?” She asks.

“Oh Lord, we were sweethearts before he enlisted. We married as soon as he came home from Korea. June 12th, 1955. Just after my twentieth birthday,” Veronica smiles as Mrs. Beaufort looks fondly out the window at her husband, who waves when he sees her standing there.

“You know, your young man reminds me a lot of Charles when he was young. Hardworking, chivalrous, polite, kind,” she winks, “handsome.”

“He is. Archie is the best man I know,” Veronica says.

“Then you should tell him that. Tell him how you feel, Dear. You’ll regret it if you don’t.”

Veronica helps Mrs. Beaufort finish loading the dishwasher, running over her words again and again and again like a mantra.

\---

The roads are still terrible by the time dinner rolls around and even though Archie tells her that he and Mr. Beaufort got the truck heater to work again, neither of them wants to risk driving on the icy roads.

Which means another night, Christmas Eve, at that, spent in their room. Archie calls his dad, and shoots Betty a quick text, telling them that he and Veronica are hoping to be home sometime tomorrow morning. Veronica goes into the bathroom to call her mother but gets the answering machine. She leaves a message and goes back into the bedroom, shifting her phone from hand to hand.

She's trying to find the words to tell Archie how she feels, but nothing feels right. Veronica's never been good at expressing her feelings with words. For her, the physical manifestations of intimacy are easier. 

_But this is Archie_ , she reminds herself. He deserves those words, however hard for her to say they may be.

“Ronnie.”

She looks up when Archie says her name and her breath catches.

There’s a tray balanced on top of the bed, with hot cocoa, and cookies, sugar, and gingerbread. The fireplace is crackling along happily, and Veronica notices with glee that he’s got his guitar.

It was a fantasy she had in high school. Of Archie serenading her with his guitar and smooth voice. Maybe out in the woods somewhere under the stars, or beside Sweetwater River beneath the setting sun.

But this is better somehow because it’s real. It’s not a daydream or a fantasy. They’re really here together. Last night really happened.

“Archie--”

“Wait, I have to tell you something.”

He takes a deep breath and she doesn’t think she’s ever seen him this nervous before. It must be important since Archie makes a point to never interrupt her.

“I need you to know that last night was not just a one-time thing for me. The truth is, I love you, Veronica. I have for a long time. And after last night, I don’t want anyone else. I just want you.”

She truly doesn’t know what to say, her mouth opening and closing as she searches for the right words. Because how is it that he told her exactly what she wanted to tell him?

“Ronnie, please say something.”

“I was going to tell you the exact same thing.”

Archie’s crestfallen expression turns to one of joy as he approaches her.

“Veronica, can I please kiss you?” And she melts.

She doesn’t answer with words. She nods and pulls him into her with a hand on the back of his neck. Their lips meet softly, just a brush, eyelashes fluttering against cheeks, his fingers brushing the smooth skin of her jaw and neck as he holds her face in his palm, treating her as delicately as glass. It’s the single most romantic moment of Veronica’s life.

As much as she wants to take him to bed, her girlish fantasies of him serenading her slightly outweigh her grownup fantasies of making love to him in front of the fireplace. Barely. Maybe they’ll fulfill the adult one once he’s wooed her with his musical prowess.

“Will you play for me?” She says, climbing on top of the bed and settling against the pillows. Veronica pats the spot next to her. Archie smiles at her, _just_ for her, and Veronica’s heart soars.

She thought that if this ever happened if they ever did cross that line and end up exactly where they are right now, that she would feel as if she lost a friend. But it’s quite the opposite. She feels closer to Archie now than she ever has. They feel stronger now than they did before, bolstered by the feelings they’d both been hiding for years since they were kids.

He begins to strum, the chords low and easy. Simple. She gets lost in his words, the sound of his voice paired with the sound of his guitar, and the way his eye light up when she smiles at him as he sings.

It’s a Christmas wish come true Veronica didn’t even know she’d made.

\---

Archie does make love to her in front of the fireplace. 

_Several_ times, in fact. They spend all night laid out on one of the knitted blankets from the hope chest, dozing in between rounds. When the clock strikes twelve, the two of them toast to Christmas with gingerbread and sugar cookies and mugs of hot cocoa.

It’s just after the third round. Archie’s laid out on his stomach, his arms folded beneath his head, and Veronica is snuggled over him, running her perfectly painted nails up and down his side. She kisses his shoulder blade tenderly, and giggles as Archie twists away when she hits a ticklish spot.

He turns over onto his back and pulls her on top of him. Archie’s hands fall to her waist, glide up her back, and pull her down to kiss him. Veronica sighs into his mouth, her body sagging into his, completely content. His hands caress her back and ass, sliding down and over her thighs as he sits up and pulls her more firmly into his lap.

She holds his gaze as she shifts up on her knees and wraps her hand around him. Archie groans into her skin, his hands flexing on her hips as he tries to calm down. She sinks down on him slowly, and he thinks, as Veronica buries her face in his neck, he could die right here, right now, a happy man.

\---

It’s about ten o’clock when they come downstairs, Veronica having left a note and two crisp one-hundred-dollar bills on the pillow. Dressed for traveling and bags packed, they pop into the dining room to say goodbye to their hosts before they leave.

“Ah, here are the lovebirds!”

Archie blushes but takes Veronica’s mittened hand in his own. Hugs are exchanged, and knowing looks shared between the older couple as they observe Archie helping Veronica into her coat.

“Now, don’t be strangers, you two,” Mrs. Beaufort hands them a thermos full of cocoa and a tin of cookies for the drive, “we’re open all year round, in case you want to come up from the city for a weekend away.”

She bustles them out the door, and Mr. Beaufort helps Archie put the bags in the back of the truck. He shakes Archie’s hand and claps him on the back.

“Take care, young man, of yourself and your lady.”

“Thank you, Sir, I will.”

The older couple is standing in the driveway waving as they pull out onto the main street. Veronica turns in her seat and waves back out the rear window.

Once they’re out on the road, Veronica leans up against the window, blowing on the glass to fog it up and drawing little swirls and curlicues in the moisture. Archie is peering at her from the corner of his eye, a dopey grin on his face.

“What?” She says when she catches him, suddenly shy.

“Nothing,” he replies with a shake of his head, “come here.” Archie lifts his arm and Veronica cuddles in close, sighing happily as he drapes his arm over her. She grabs his hand, fingers intertwining, and thinks that this could be the happiest she’s ever been.

\---

The drive to Riverdale is quiet and peaceful, and Veronica is relieved to see that things between them aren’t awkward at all. She thinks there’s a security in their silence now. The only noise is the crunch of the snow under the tires, the roar of the repaired heater, and Bing Crosby’s deep croon.

She finds that these are things to be cherished, these quiet moments with Archie, secure in the knowledge that he is hers and she is his. It’s a strange feeling to realize that you’re in love with your best friend; that somewhere along the way they became so ingrained in your life that you can’t imagine a moment without them.

Elm Street is just as charming as it always has been. Fred still lives in the family home, and Betty, Jughead, and their little boy had moved into her parent’s house when Hal and Alice retired and downsized to a cottage on the Thornhill grounds, part of Hal’s inheritance.

The whole neighborhood looks like a Christmas card, and Veronica’s heart warms when she sees Archie’s joyous smile. He’s always so happy to be home. Though his dreams are big, his heart will always be in Riverdale, and Veronica finds herself feeding off his happiness.

Betty is standing just inside the house, baby Johnny balanced on her hip as she waves at them. When Archie takes her hand as they walk up the front steps, Veronica’s heart flutters. They hadn’t discussed what they would tell people, but she isn’t really surprised that he’s so open with his affection for her.

Betty zeroes in on their hands right away and as she notices Archie’s grin and Veronica’s blush connects the dots quickly with that razor-sharp, detective mind of hers.

“I told you, Jug! You owe me twenty bucks!”

**Author's Note:**

> Originally published on my old account, TheVoicelessRomantic, on 12-24-2019. You can find me on tumblr @monicasposh.


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